Publication of the Collected Letters of Dr. Susumu Tsunoo, Former President of Nagasaki Medical College
A collection of letters written by Dr. Susumu Tsunoo, former President of Nagasaki Medical College, who lost his life in the atomic bombing in 1945, has recently been published. The letters were sent to his family while he was studying in Germany, before his appointment as a professor at the college.
This collection was published by Dr. Tsunoo’s descendants in 2025, a commemorative year marking 100 years since his return from Germany and 80 years since his passing in the atomic bombing of 1945. It is their sincere hope that this book will be read by many people, including medical students at Nagasaki University.
The university has received a donation of 300 copies of this collection. The books will be made available at the university library and also distributed to students who attend the annual Memorial Ceremony Honoring Medical Pioneers held by the School of Medicine.
In addition to the donation of the letter collection, a financial contribution was also generously made by Dr. Tsunoo’s descendants. This contribution will be used to support the continuation and further development of the university’s long-standing academic honor, the Tsunoo Award for Scientific Excellence, as well as to promote the advancement of academic research at Nagasaki University.
Dr. Susumu Tsunoo was born in Tokyo in 1892. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Tokyo Imperial University in 1917. While studying in Germany, he was appointed Associate Professor of Nagasaki Medical College in April 1923. After returning to Japan in 1925, he became a full professor. In 1936, He was called upon to serve as president of the college.
He made significant contributions to both clinical practice and medical research, enhancing the college’s reputation to the point where people said, “Where there is Nagasaki, there is Tsunoo.”
On August 9, 1945, he was exposed to the atomic bomb while treating patients. He passed away on August 22, 1945, at a relief station at Nameshi Daijingu Shrine, expressing concern for the future of the university until his final moments.
In 1979, his former students and alumni erected a bronze bust of Dr. Tsunoo on the School of Medicine campus to honor his legacy.
